Thursday, December 10, 2009

Noynoy camp cries foul

The camp of Liberal Party (LP) presidential bet Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino yesterday cried foul over the apparent black propaganda being used by his political opponents in rewriting history and desecrating the memory Noynoy’s mother, former President Corazon Aquino.

This, as Aquino supporter lawyer Edwin Lacierda, spokesperson of Noynoy, belied recent published reports linking the former president to Andal Ampatuan rise to political power in Maguindanao.

Lacierda, in a letter, said it was the late dictator, former President Ferdinand Marcos, who had appointed Andal Ampatuan Sr. and not Aquino.

He added that during the Aquino administration, Ampatuan Sr. was in “fact stripped of his position and replaced him with Datu Bodhi Ampatuan who is known as a non-political member of the large Ampatuan clan who served as a police chief in Mindanao.”

“The lies perpetuated by political opportunists about former President Cory’s alleged appointment of Andal Ampatuan Sr. have long been dispelled by Fr. Eliseo ‘Jun’ Mercado, who was Namfrel chairman for Maguindanao in 1986,” Lacierda said.

“Andal Ampatuan’s much-debated rise to power started during the administration of President Arroyo, who is known to be a close ally of Andal Sr.,” he added.

Lacierda said LP expected such black propaganda considering due to the scheduled May 2010 presidential election but not to such extent.

“It is not surprising that such black propaganda has arisen given that the 2010 elections are drawing near, but it is disturbing that our opponents have resorted to rewriting history, and desecrating the memory of our former president in order to further their selfish political agenda,” he said.

He, however, stressed that LP “will not be deterred in our fight for a clean and honest government.” Jason Faustino